The Sacred Mosque is the mosque of Mecca, holding the Ka'ba. Al-Muqaddasi described it about 375 AH with marble columns carried by sea from Alexandria and mosaic made by craftsmen of Syria and Egypt, and nineteen doors including the Banu Shayba and Safa gates. After the conquest of Mecca it became a school of learning: Mu'adh taught in it and Ibn Abbas held fatwa and lessons there.
Reading at your level · Building
Al-Masjid Al-Haram
A grown-up reads you the short text; the longer one you read yourself.
The Sacred Mosque is the mosque of Mecca holding the Ka'ba. Al-Muqaddasi described it about 375 AH as al-Mahdi's building: marble columns carried by sea from Alexandria to Jeddah, the walls of its three porticoes clad in mosaic by craftsmen of Syria and Egypt whose names remain on it, nineteen doors including Banu Shayba, Safa and Nadwa gates, and around the tawaf miles of brass with candles burning on them. Four centuries later al-Umari recorded the Ka'ba's measures: four cubits between door and Black Stone — the Multazam — and on its back the sealed 'Refuge from sins' door; its gilded door was renewed in the Nasiri days. After the conquest it became a school of learning: the book records the Prophet ﷺ leaving Mu'adh to teach and Ibn Abbas holding fatwa and lessons, training Mujahid, Ata and Tawus; Hajj season was students' chance to meet scholars, and Ramadan held the Qur'an-finishing nights with the imams of the four schools.
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For grown-ups
The leveled texts are written from the same record in the big museum at three levels and follow the kids' content rules; the Scholars level does not appear here.